New insights into how confinement in seating arrangements impacts the everyday physical activity patterns of young children have been unveiled by investigators at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center. This research, conducted in partnership with researchers from 32 nations involved in the SUNRISE International Study, offers a comprehensive examination of this developmental aspect.
The study, spearheaded by postdoctoral researcher Dr. Katherine Spring and titled “Probability of meeting the restrained sitting guideline in early childhood: an international cross-sectional study,” was published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. It delves into the potential influence of time spent secured in devices such as infant car seats and strollers on children’s capacity to adhere to recommended movement behaviors during a crucial period of their growth.
The World Health Organization characterizes “restrained sitting” as the duration a child is fastened within a seat or device. Their guidelines stipulate that children aged 3 to 4 years should not be restrained for periods exceeding 60 minutes consecutively.
The investigation revealed that while the majority of children (82%) adhered to the recommended limits for restrained sitting, significant variations were observed based on their daily routines and surrounding environments. Specifically, children residing in urban locales and those who spent extended periods in motor vehicles daily exhibited a markedly reduced likelihood of meeting the guideline.
Spending 60 minutes or more daily within a vehicle—a situation wherein restraint is mandatory—was correlated with a diminished probability of adhering to the recommendation. Conversely, increased levels of physical activity were associated with a greater propensity to meet the suggested guideline.
These findings underscore that periods of restrained sitting constitute a significant yet frequently overlooked facet of sedentary behavior in early childhood. While the utilization of restraints is paramount for safety during transit, protracted, unbroken durations may curtail opportunities for movement during a pivotal developmental phase.
Dr. Katherine Spring, postdoctoral researcher
The outcomes emphasize the critical need to harmonize safety considerations with opportunities for physical engagement. This includes implementing breaks during prolonged periods of restraint and actively promoting daily physical activity.
Dr. Spring and her colleagues advocate for parents to consider incorporating frequent pauses during road journeys, minimizing the duration their children spend fastened in strollers, and eliminating the use of car seats outside of vehicular transport. Furthermore, it is recommended that policymakers and urban planners continue to explore strategies for reducing daily commute durations as a method to foster active locomotion and mitigate extended periods of sedentary behavior in children.
Spring, K. E., et al. (2026). Probability of meeting the restrained sitting guideline in early childhood: an international cross-sectional study. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2026.04.018. https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(26)00157-X/fulltext
